Dust and Ashes
by romionefluffer
Summary: When the little hope after the battle is lost, when the world seems to come to an end anyone would have thought that familiy's warmth would be enougth to hold the fall but sometimes you don't want the hold because that familiy is as debasteated as you or worse. You, Bruce Banner, would try to be the heroe's hold, their friend and help althought your own suffering didn't allow you.
1. Chapter 1

Here's the beginning of my first fic and yes, despite my username it's not Harry Potter. You'll see, after the Infinity War final I was hyped over a lot of thing's and I could't think in anything more than THAT movie and THAT final so I decided to write this with summer holydays start and publish it all around September but the story just got so big and than arrived University and then I wasn't sure about my english grammar (isn't my native lenguage, maybe you noticed yet) so clearly it's not summer but I thought today was the day, especially after that stunning and heartbreaking peace of trailer for Avengers Endgame (You Russos lied to me. I will never trust you anymore in all my life).

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Chapter 1

One snap and half the Avengers, their teammates, their friends were vanished. No painful cry, no death bodies, just ashes...just puf... Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, Bucky Barnes, king T'Challa, the cute young tree he didn't knew and who know what more friends around the world, maybe universe. Bruce's thoughts mixed with the full rage and incomprehension calls from Wakanda people while feel the Hulk was surprisingly in no mood for follow that rage, rather sharing his own shock and sadness. Then Bruce noticed he forget someone: universe, spaceships...

"Tony..." the few Avengers been left stared at him noticing the absence. Steve was the first to ask, past arguments with their losen friend forget in mind background.

"Where's he? Do you think he also..." with such worried look he and the others fix at him Bruce immediate move was ask FRIDAY although knowing surely the Iron Man would be away from the Earth.

"FRIDAY, can you make contact with Tony Stark armour?" Bruce wait for the A. I. answer hearing his heart fast beating anxiousness, out of hulking danger although.

"I can't Doctor Banner, Mr. Stark lose coverage 40 minute after you left New York. The last armour location I had access was..." Bruce keep waiting while the A.I. calculate "...58,540, 000 km away from Earth"

Bruce contained a gasp. That was higthly beyond Mars and if that wasn't far enough he was certain in one hundred per cent his friend was now far far away from there, surely out the milky way. For the pale faces the Avengers held at him he could say they had heard the A.I. too.

"How the hell he got him out of Earth?" Rhodey inquired, worried gaze and covered in sweet with his head out of his armour.

"Tony go inside one of Thanos spaceships when his minion abducted a wizard with a cape who had the Time gem."

They knit browns puzzled to the words "wizard with a cape" but seemed they had think better in order priorities.

"So Tony go up on a spaceship following the wizard and the gem for prevent that monster taken it... But Thanos had it on the gauntlet, he couldn't have turned minutes back in time for take the Mind gem before was destroyed if would be the other way." Natasha put pieces together and the way it fit in did Bruce get on a tragic also uncertain conclusion but before he could move on, general Rhodes seem to have the same though and talk it out.

"We must find and bring him here already, no matter where he is. We would possible still have time enough." Rhodey said urgent, complainig. The determination was shared for each of them. Question in terms was _how_ if no one knew where exactly was Tony, not even Thor could go without knowing it. But then, before Bruce could keep considering ways for act towards his friend absence a raccon he didn't noticed before was muttering some names while pressing what seemed an earpiece comm but whoever he was calling didn't want or could answer, at least that's what Bruce though when the raccon turn the hoarse muttering on a yell.

"Shit! Drax!, Gamora!, Mantis! Quill fuck hell! Anyone, answer me! Fuck Thanos and his fucking stones! Fuck dust! Fuck Nidavellir! And fuck the shitty tech on this stupid semineandertal planet! You haven't discovered deep space long-term satellites yet or what?! I need a battery of 1000 GWh and a huge antenna! Now!" the raccon faced them up in such a bunch of angryness and range it would seem he would throw his fangs towards anyone who would dare to reject him but at the same time with such a helplessness behaviore it was clear it was just his way on dealing with an outcome that had let them bewildered, furious and shoked the same way around. Also it seemed he had a plan and although it would be no more than for search his friends and find out if they were...that... Steve seem to have right away realised how he could help us if we helped him, though they would have helped the animal anyway.

"Okey, easy there." Steve rabbed his eyes and toke his hair back on a clear sign of fatigue and sadness, trying to figure out what to do next. "Listen, I need to find some friends who are out there on a spaceship who knows how... but you are same as me, attempting to make contact with your friends you don't know in which conditions they could be. I'm wrong? Could you help us if we help you?" Steve asserted.

"I can, yeah" answered the raccon.

Bruce noticed Steve keeped his natural calling for leading and get adviced his team even before the worst situations, yet before the most tragic ending they had come out ever. Something was off on their Captain, of course. He had fougth almost all his life for hold on a world which even between little havens of peace always breaked down itself at the end and he had seen, lived the worst falls on humanity history and still hold up. The Captain had finally found out a team who understanded and whished the same thing as him, whom he had attached to almost as if it was his familiy. However each of them notised he missed something, someone from his real time to help him carry on on this frenetic, chaotic modern world. Natasha was who understanded and did helped him the best cause she could seem lethal and cold but when she trusted someone she was everytime there for being as loyal and strong as she could be and for her to do so with Steve was the easiest, even Bruce could see that but never bothered him. Then the Captain found out his best friend from childhood, Bucky Barnes, was still alive and without been a matter for him that Hydra had turned his friend on a killing mindless machine he cared for him and fighted his moral code, his loyality towards the superiors, his doubts and his team for get his old friend back. Rhodey didn't explained him much more on about what happened in two years but his position sit down on the floor and his feable tone of voice was enough singal how painful was for him to lose in a heartbeat what costed him practically is life and it wasn't just Bucky, it was Wanda, it was Sam, it was Vision and next could be Tony. Their Captain was debasted and even then he used all his might to set the tone and that was the reason Bruce respected him.

At this point the Captain only needed a nod for made Bruce to know what to do next. In spite of being a raccoon if it was intelligent enough for talk clear English (how if he came from space? No idea, but it was), wear an armour, hold a weapon and understand technology he could be a grate help and Bruce would work with him without problem.

"Fine. Grab me and I would carry you to the labs on the city." the raccoon climbed to the armour shoulder and Bruce drive the Hulkbuster up towards the city.

He lacked one arm propellant but didn't prevented him for arrive to the city and land on Shuri's laboratory coming throught the broken window. Rhodey was on his left and facing them appeared Shuri wearing two shooting clawns and a helmet mid-ripped from the battle.

"He won, isn't true? He did the ashes?" she said quite consience of what this mean.

Rhodey noded, a deflated and apologising expression on his face while Bruce tried to take over the armor.

"My brother?" she asked on a steady but urging glance.

"Sorry princess" Rhodey said, denying the little hope she could still grab on.

On the contrary of what Bruce would have expected Shuri noded, closing her eyes and letting a deep breath go. She was accepting her lost, her big brother's death calmed and resolutive as she must have learned since childhood on her sever education as a princess who would have to assume and confront the most tragic situations for her country benefit, would be the next queen or not.

"Fine, I need to search my mother now and if I can't... find her then maybe couldn't turn back for help you on all what you need but I would entrust you my lab and give anything you request for"

"Thanks princess." Quite inmediatly rambled around his head multiple ideas and lists on instruments, ways, mechanism they needed for search Tony and the racoon's friends, for try to find him and never allow to enter his mind the possibility he was... he would be as the other's. But there was no time for think like that now. "Where's the biggest communications antenna on this place and the fastest computer?" Shuri looked confused but answered at all.

"On the last hight floor on this tower we have a computer room, a deep space scaner and a ten meters antenna.

"I can use that" said the racoon.

Rhodey glared at him and said "I'm coming with you for phone Pepper once we would know for sure if... where he is"

"And me" this time talked Thor who had landed on the lab just some minutes now, as strong as someone could be in his situation with a heavy shadow on death and guilt up his shoulders anyone attentive enough would have been able to see, at least that was Bruce's opinion.

I just could nod and hope he understanded the gest while we set off to the hight floor. There as the princess promised we found a room with some regular computer tables facing a large control table and a displayer which reminded him of the control NASA room on a smaller size. The racoon, who's name Bruce didn't knew yet, entered the room, turned on the keyboard and started to play with the bottons, strip down some wires from the cage and disemboweled the comm with such promptness Bruce didn't dare to doubt again on him. On any other situation if he would have found a racoon unplagging and collecting wires again he would have though his "multipersonality problems" had turned him mad finally but now he looked through the racoon working, apart for leaving him speechless, it made inquire himself from where he come and who would have been as ambitious as numb for doing this. For Bruce was easy to come to the conclusion this animal was the result of some mad experiment and from the scars he wore from the neck and down there one quite painful; before that much animals he did experiments with on his past at universitiy and the military basement and now... But then the racoon stoped his train of though, giving him back to the issue they were at hands.

"Hey, are you moron listening? Could you take thus controls there and move the antenna for being upwards the sky? "

"Sure" Bruce did so and saw as the antenna moved on, visible through the window wall on the room.

"Hell, the comm just does noise still." and he shattered what he had assembled for now.

"Maybe the satellites would be inoperating. They work on machine remote control but habitually monitored by someone so if what Thanos did affected all the globe... The chaos should be unprecedented" Bruce looked opposit him his refletion on the display off. Think about his friend Tony out who knows where was so difficult when the imagines of half a city turning dust with it's logical consequences come to your mind. Minutes before he could talk with F.R.I.D.A.Y but...hmm

"Rhodey, could you go down and get hold off the Hulkbuster helmet and your armor helmet please? Thanks" Bruce wouldn't be certain on his reasoning until he would chek it but for that needed a Stark's armour connected with the A.I.

While seeing the general leave the room Bruce saw Thor seat down on the floor, staring him and the racoon without really paying atention. He wore the worst appearence of the remaining team until now, no doubt, and this time Bruce knew, sorry _had seen_ , exactly why.

The relation betwen Bruce himself and the Hulk was changing, developing in a way he was able for the first time to remember everything and as always though it wasn't nice and not for the reasons he used to though but worse because for him and for Thor this dreadful day begined with the alarms. The Thanos spaceship just a minute before come across with them launched the first missile and the asgardians remained silent in terror and anxiety, waiting for it to be a simple failure but it wasn't. Afterwards the captain on the other ship requesing us to allow them to enter peacefully if we didn't want a forceful entrance. Of course we weren't opening but neither could allow the other ship to attach the spaceship because we have no weapon so while hundreds of asgardian families begined to shift disorganized in search of their relatives, their friends or us for ask what we were gonna do Thor remembered the rescue little ships. Thanks him and Heimdall we were able to reorganize the asgardians and ask them for go abourd them but what we didn't knew was there weren't enough rescue ships and right then begined the chaos. Each asgardian family had to make the decission on who would go aboard the rescue ships, never knowing if they would see the friends and relatives who would remain, and who would be left on the mother spaceship that was just delaying minutes on it's reach for his sure death sentence. Miraculously they had time enough for board until fill up each rescue ship but inmediatly after that Thanos and his minions forced the ramp door open and after Cull Obsidean assured us they wouldn't kill anyone if we didn't move on, his alien dogs attaked the first civilians and the massacre begined.

Bruce remembered every slash and stab on the remaining asgardians, as well the civilians as the few soldiers, remembered every yell, every cry and didn't want to remember more. The last thing he remembered was Thanos give the Hulk the biggest beating on his life so just could wonder what more Thor losened on the battle. Loki wasn't with him nor with Thanos so unless he would broak out of some way...

And Thor arrived Wakanda giving the last battle a hope it would be done with a victory, the confidence the mad titan goal would arrive to it's end and stabbed him through all his fucking purple chest. Bruce would swear he though Thanos had died instantly but early he knew it was just the desperate anticipation of his mind. And then Thanos give Thor the last blow on his mood as if he hadn't suffered enough. "You should have gone for the head" Thanos said, _that asshole_. That last blow, that last words before the snap were a definitive reason for let Thor on the deep silence and sorrow he remained since after yelling at him what the hell had he done. A sorrow and dark aura that Bruce wasn't brave enough to go through.

At that moment Rhodey arrived out of his suit, the two iron helmets on each arm, giving Bruce out of his memories and back to his though on the work to do.

"There. I though mine could be useful too. Why you asked them for?"

"Public satellites doesn't work but the Stark satellite does. Other way I wouldn't have been able of contact FRIDAY. If we mix our contact with the amplified signal on that alien comm we should been able on contact Tony or the racoon friends." Bruce said while opening each helmmet mechanism and bring them open to the raccoon.

"I'm not a raccoon. My name is Rocket" he said on a neutral, impatient tone of voice still busy on take apart the usful portions on the helmets.

"Sorry. I'm Bruce by the way." he said. More as a reflex act than as something though away he offered the hand.

"So what?" for what it seemed Rocket was always like that so Bruce let it go and turn to keep talking with Rhodes.

"But why Stark's satellite works when the others don't?"

"Tony never trusted anyone on such important works, not even himself, so his satellite is completly self-winding." Bruce answered as matter of fact he knew from their first days working together on the tower after the chitauris.

"Bless Tony for that." a knowing sad smile crossed Rhodey's face with that answer and with the conversation closed go to seat on a study chear.

When he turned aroud again to where Rocket was intertwining some wires and saw he had build up out of nowhere some type of walkie-talkie half splited, thought this one should work for contact deep space interactions. He seemed to work alone quite well and Bruce didn't want to ruin something he understanded rather halfway so decided to keep helping in other ways. Shuri said somewhere in this room they had a deep space scanner and if it worked well it could be useful for search and track spaceship motions therefor it could find out the asgardian rescue ships or Tony's ship if he was still on board one. It would be processing empty space with some whistle every so often as he could also see on the screen with the graphics. The search could be carring for hours so while left the scan work alone Bruce get to seat besides Thor, determinated to say something, show he was here as his friend.

"I turned on a scanner search for pinpoint the rescue ships. I know they would be safe with Korg and Valkyrie but I though you would want to know for sure where and how they are." Bruce tried talk with him on eye contact but Thor remained distant, deep quiet for some time until he made his mind up.

"They won't be any pleased for see me. I'm the reason our home and half my people had been decimated. Now sure more than half becouse of my childish, haughty mistake." Thor talked on a hoarse, deep voice coming from phisical and emotional fatigue, hopeless and resignation Bruce couldn't blame him for although he could say something.

"If that demented monster...hell, worse than a monster, would have killed all my people and threatened to kill more I would have wanted to rub his defeat in on his face too." Hulk growled on the back of his mind in agreement.

"He killed my brother after Heimdall get you off there. That bastard squashed his neck as if it wasn't more resilient than a match." His voice did a slight crack which had broken anyone's heart. "And I let that to infurate me until be so blind to attack before think. Exactly what Loki warned me not to do since we were children."

Bruce rubbed his shoulder on effort for bring him commfort. Bruce wouldn't lie, he didn't get on well with Loki but knew Thor cared about him and Loki the same so the best he could do was bring support while saw how Rocket seem to have found something away from the noise... but it go straight away so Bruce let it go.

"I'm sorry. It seemed he was conceading he cared about you too. In spite his...ambitions" the same time he said so Bruce believed to have heard a voice from the walkie and Rocket was trying to talk with it but it go away fast again.

"He was the best adversary, wasn't he?" Thor was still talking about his brother and didn't noticed so Bruce tried to close up the conversation.

"He was and forever will be." Bruce got up and get closer to Rocket for lifting up the walkie searching better range.

" _Hello?"_ the voice from the walkie made Thor lift up his head. _Wasn't it?_

"Hi, who is it? This is Bruce talking from Earth."

"Hush a second. It's a lost message, think" he followed Rocket's advice and keep listening.

"Is this working?-noise- lack on-noise-." Bruce couldn't recognise the voice well but he was sure it seemed familiar. "Our ship is-noise- we are lack on-noise- help noise- refugie -noise- asgardian ship civilians." He stared at Thor finally recognising the voice. It was Valkyrie! "help-noice- location -5 point 087 -noise- wo 11 -noise- and then the message repeated itself. There wasn't anything new, only what they were able to here.

"Is she, no doubt. The refugies ships are safe, told ya." Bruce stared Thor again. Offered some good mood towards the god but it faded mainly when he understanded what this call mean. Thor was determinated, he wasn't remainig here wating for Tony's call. " Told me at least you know where are they?"

"Yeah. I need to go, sorry" Bruce noded in understandment and Thor lifted up his new axe. Though Rhodey doesn't seemed on the same opinion.

"Wait! How are we gonna pick up Tony without you!" Too late. Thor had convene the Bifrost before listen Rhodes. "Why you allow him to go like that?!"

"I don't do the choices for him! Besides, he would have gone anyway. I want to find Tony as well as you but we can search another way." Rhodes was about to answer in disagreement when suddenly the scanner whistles turned on fast and madly. It did found something and Bruce run towards the computer for check it out but... _it couldn't be_.

"What? What happens?" Rhodey asked from behind.

Bruce tried to talk above the constant whistle "The scanner detected something. Can't be Thor, the computer search is for objets from 30 meters to more. Like the Quinjet or bigger."

"You think is Tony?"

"Don't know. It's leaving exosphere, don't coming to." Bruce got to a little displayer to see the speed and size registers. Still bewildered searched for more indications about the object but wasn't more and the whistle was keeping him nervous. Luckly Rocket found a bottom for switch the noise off while the objet still was visible on the displayer.

"It has 39 metres between hight and widht and it goes on a speed of 53.4KN." Rocket pointed outfor looking us next a little bewildered. "Why you two so amezed? It's a regular medium-sized spacechip"

"Cause Tony had one exactly like that on the compound for emergency situations." Bruce answered the raccon and all off a sudden,at the same time, Rhodes phone zoomed out. He picked it up, select the projector option and what they saw left them as crazy as understanding it was logical.

"Pepper!? Oh don't say me. It was you who board on and drive the Rescue Star, don't?" Rhodey appeared he was going to have a heart attack.

"Of course it's me!" she seemed quite angry and determinated to do whatever the hell she was planning. "The last thing I heard from Tony was he boarded on that spaceship 10 hour ago and just wanted to say goodbye like it was forever. I called you later but you didn't picked up nor called back! Given that neither of you all wanted to say me what was going on I called Fury. Yeah don't you dare give me that face, of course I know he's alive and of course I have his phone. I'm Tony's fiancé and Stark Industries C.E.O. not some stupid trophy wife! So after come to the conclusion that no one would say me nothing and the people was just little hours ago vanishing in ashes I take the decission for doing it all by myself and pick up Tony wherever he would be, he wants or not." Pepper furious call left them speechless and for the first time aware about what the usually patient and sweet women was equally capable to do if she wanted. None of them was daring to berate her for so simply they focused on the projection. She wasn't driving the spaceship but seemed she had hired an astronaut from the NASA (she weared and official suit and was driving as puzzled as they were, as if she haven't had time to assume how and why she had agree with this crazy woman) and was wearing herself one of Tony's armours but this one white and purple.

She lowered her voice pitch this time coming back to her normal were of being "I don't know why but I know he is alive and maybe not for so long. I'm sorry if I'm doing things more difficult for you but I can't keep waiting, okey? I'm going with a true professional on space so I would be fine, seriously. I called for you to not worry about me okey? And if you can give us some help we would thank you for that. You have?" Pepper expression was soft and pleading, showing them she was as scary as them for rise like that, without direction nor a earth's team to help them on a dangerous travel for space but there was nothing who seemed would been able to stop that woman for search and rescue her man so Bruce and Rhodey only could agree with her.

"We hadn't find nothing yet, sorry Pepper. We would keep following your ship from here. Okey?"

"Thank's guys. Well, bye" and she hunged up.

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 **Last upload on this chapter, I promise. The next upload would be the second chapter**. Maybe you couldn't see it yet but this multichaptered story would be focused on Bruce Banner and all that will come inmediatly after the snap in Wakanda and between the Avengers. Why Bruce Banner? He was apparently the only person who didn't lost any loved one, he was a subplot character for some Avengers movies and without the Hulk is the last one fans could care about right now. Well, that's exacly the reasons why I chosened him, he isn't talkative which also means he is quite observant, the perfect quality for perfect narrators and the other reason is the actual step on his arc character. If you are intelligent or listened the Russo brothers Q&A about Infinity War you know the Hulk never had fear of Thanos, his reasons for not to come out where because of his troubling relationship with Bruce Banner but what means that? it would have a solution? that and more is what I'm about to answer on this multichaptered fanfic Dust and Ashes.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello everyone, I'm here already! Today I will publish the two next chapters for multiple reasons. First as a make up for the fact I couldn't publish as soon as I wanted because the studies at University didn't allowed me time enough and for that same reasons (In January I'll have the first round of fourthy year exam and I haven't studied anything yet. Please someone kill me! Aaahhh!) I will not publish until maybe February. The second reason is today, December 27th, we would have been celebrating the birthday of the cheerful and beloved creator of Marvel universe, Stan Lee, the real superhero when planning and writing a world who filled such many hearts with emotions and such many minds with imagination and good lessons for life.

Also before you start to read I have to advice you about the pairings. With this story I'm trying to follow the plot from where the Russo Brothers left it in Infinity War so the movie canon parings are treated as officials BUT I'm not denying also the non-canon pairings, I want to be respectful with them all and let them space for be possible in an implied way. And about Brutasha I will just treat them on the logical, well writed way I think it could turn around (I doubt they even pay attention to it in Endgame for obvious reasons but that's another for write this fic). I hated the way it was writened in AoU for so much reasons, but I can't miss the place the Russos left them.

Well, I think I did talk (or write) to much so enjoy the chapter! Ah and of course none of this charachters or made up places are mine, they were all created by Marvel Comics and Marvel Cinematic Universe workers.

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Bruce tracked the Rescue Star through the next 12 hours of night while observed how Rocket worked on improving the communicator signal range with such persistence and inventiveness could do a well-deserved rival to Tony's. Loosened Pepper's track at daybreak. Shit!. If he would had have the emotional strength for he would have pull a kick to the scanner computer and let frustration go. That night had been terrible, said only for the two of them who had shut away in the room as if what they were searching was the last salvation chance for this world broken in half, so he didn't want to even envision how passed the night for thus outside the room.

Little minutes after Pepper hung up Rhodey received more calls, one behind the other, and for the gravity he answered them and the nicknames wasn't hard to guess they were from important heads on the USA administration. Senator, minister, general all of them asked the same and all of them get the same fast reply "Yeah, we know what and why happened but... He is who had less fault than anyone! Buff, sorry sir. Yes sir. I will organize a press conference once I come back to the country and I will explain all I know. You in charge, sir. Bye." The calls passed as ordinary as it could be until arrived one which made Rhodes swear something in clenched teeth while hunged it up.

"What now? There happened something bad?" worse corrected Bruce on his mind.

"Okey um... I don't know if Tony would agree with this but you will figure it out sooner or later so I have to inform you, especially you." Rhodes stressed his words pointing Bruce with the phone while he noded and caressed his chin impatiently.

"You remember what I have said you on the compound before the Captain arrived? About the Sokovia Accords, the Registration Superhero Certificate and how Steve and his supporters were stated as searched international criminals?"

"Yeah. Tony wanted them to sign the accords for keep the team together and protected until the conflict cooled out for renegotiate them on their favour but later the situation got out of hands when Zemo appeared. That's what you said me, at least."

"That's true and more things I have no time to resume again... except for one detail. You'll see, I don't know how he arrived so high on the administration with his record but... the one who offered as the accords was the new Secretary of State of USA who happened to be your... old not dear friend Thaddeus E. Ross." Rhodes shut down a moment after he did staten that, giving Bruce time to process and see how he would react.

The fact was, unlike Bruce himself would have thought, he didn't have that burn sensation down the stomach he ever had when the range start to gathering inside him and didn't get out, maybe because it had go out later that day and then refused to come the last time but also because Tony had no fault Ross would be the Secretary. Besides be resentment with him while he was still on unknown whereabouts made him guilt and a way to remember his friend he didn't want to keep in case he was... as the others. Of course he had reasons for been angry at Tony. He knew general Ross had half the fault for the Hulk to be created, he knew all what he had done after that and what was able to still do; at least Tony could have though another way for come to terms with the government without commit under the proposition of a cold liar selfish ambitious ex-militar. But Bruce closed eyes, take a deep breath and assumed the situation as a mistake from the past which couldn't be undone if they didn't act with the present.

For the expression Rhodes returned it seemed the problems with the accords were getting so bad the only way out was an urgent answer no matter how risky it would be. "When the Captain arrived and I said him I wasn't about to arrest anyone of them I disobeyed a direct order and allowed criminals to left the country. I don't give a shit if he dismisses me, I turned accomplice voluntarily. The issue right now is if I don't go with the princess, the queen or whoever would handle the international conflicts on this country and get their help Ross would tell the President his suspicions on the Avengers being involved in the sudden vanishing of half the people on earth, which means he would try to convince him and the entire country we are the source. And if he accomplishes you would imagine what it could mean... the people would lost the little confidence if they had left any, the government would present an arrest menace if anyone tries to come back to the country, Ross himself could seize the Compound and all properties named after Tony or Pepper if they don't show signs of life in a week."

"That cunning asshole... Teddy Ross get birth a pain in the ass and would die as a pain in the ass. We agree?" Bruce said offering a hand to Rhodey as a good-bye.

"You don't know how much." the general take the hand and give him an embrace with the free arm.

And it was only the first on a long mishaps list they were about to find the next days, complications which prevented them for thinking on any rescue plans but it were doing that one and the next five nights just worse than what normally they could be. No, what truly did the pass on days and nights that horrible since that first time were the lack of progress with the engines on the communications room, the slow and frustrating waiting on news from Thor, Pepper or either Tony and of course the memories; his mind betrayed him with a few but treasured good memories of the team bending together after New York anytime he got to see the misfits they were now the few hours he get out of the room. Bruce called it a betrayal because after the first one seconds of balm nostalgic calmness the memories squeezed his heart painfully and forced him to remember half their teammates, the ones he hadn't time to meet with, had turned in dust and Tony, his best friend on the team, the first one who had accepted him and his green angry problem selfless and fearless.

Through two nights working Rocket had taken the walkie apart and rebuild it so many times Bruce come to thought he was doing it as a strategy for avoid get carried along with the memories, the what if's and the what do we do now's so Bruce decided to do the same and brought the best help he could. They added some uses for the walkie to have a location signal recorder which could be displayed on any computer screen and a little lighting signal for if it received another lost message or a call when they weren't verifying the engine. Just in case. True be told Rocket never drop it, time and time again he tested the wires and microprocessors, switched this, changed that... every once in a while touched something on the engine like a castaway who hold on an SOS flare in which relied his life. In thus two nights he didn't get more than noise and false alarms. That third day Rocket threw the engine against the right brick wall and let the pieces scattered all over the floor, breathed heavily trying to calm down and hold a rangeness cry back together and left the room with a bang. Bruce stayed there and looked towards the door just as he left, mouth and eyes down said everything what couldn't be expressed in words. He would have did exactly the same if he would have find himself alone and far away from his friends, with no possibility to know if they would die on fault of a coward choice to run away from them and left them alone against the menace. Maybe the Other Guy was in fact protecting him when kept him inside of his body on Sakaar.

That third day they received a good new. The General Rhodes get the pleased help of princess Shuri to do an official international communication informing on what had happened, who was the reliable responsible of turning half the people on dust and... what it meant and how the Avengers had been a needed and grateful help on the defence of Wakanda people and the world against an extragalatic menace, no matter if they had lost or not. The kingdom had half of their official military groups and half a city of civils on which plenty of them would be glad on corroborate the facts, if it was needed in a tribunal even. Ross had to gulp down his arrogance when the government move away the accusations on that matter against the Avengers and revoke any judicial action they had against them if wasn't supported on factual incidents. However the search and arrest order on the Avengers who had deny and go against the Sokovia accords was still up and Wakanda government would need more time for sort out that problem between the bureaucracy obstacles and international objection. That reason for they would remain on the country as political refugees until further notice.

Of course there was plenty of people on Wakanda who wasn't in agreement with their leaders decision, some of them entire tribes, and their reasons weren't precisely insignificant. Although they knew the dust hadn't been caused by them, they didn't get into believe it didn't mean it wasn't their fault because, in their point of view, the battle ended in that disastrous defeat due to the lack of training on some of them, their personal attachments in battle and especially their decision on not to destroy the gem on the android's head the first very second they had the opportunity. They had favoured the life of one man, well they said a simple unfeeling android, above the life of half Wakanda and their cherished king included. And problems didn't end there, nobody was about to accept happily ever after to keep an entire group of enhanced fugitives against the will of the most weaponry powerful countries on the world, above all when some of them had been directly or indirectly attackers on their weaker frontier countries in the past. Some of their judgments could be lack of proof or exaggerated but... couldn't be easy to convince an entire country which had agree with this decisions as long as their king would be in charge of the problem when he had vanished and their queen was certainly an exceptionally gifted engineer but also a teenager unexperienced on government matters who hadn't been elected for anyone as a queen.

The protests lasted for three days until Shuri and the representatives from other tribes promised they would celebrate a king/queen election ceremony as soon as possible but during thus three days and two nights Bruce decided to remain on the penthouse the Avengers had been assigned for don't create more difficulties as Shuri needed. There he discovered how uncomfortable and painful it was to life with your old friends when they had just lost everything, things that compare with what you loosened seemed almost selfish, and the only hold they wanted was silence and solitude.

Bruce didn't dared to go with Rocket since he didn't have trust enough with him for knew what to talk about or if he even would welcome a silent company.

Natasha... he did have want to talk with her privately since they had meet again with that hurry and coldness. There was a war above their heads, there was no time for personal conversations but something else stopped him. When he looked towards her deep green eyes, she returned him a smile but as much as it could seem other way it wasn't a normal one, in fact it was one of the fake smiles she did when wanted to hide what she really felt but this time it was... broken. She was trying to tell him something without actually telling it but Bruce didn't understand it or maybe didn't want to understand ... He did want to talk with her but couldn't because he did not have the right to do so. His head rumbled with reasons in favour and against it while he paced front her door, ready to knock it but every time backing out. He was who left her with nothing, not even a little good-bye, and then he arrived with the war at his back and now half their friends, the ones she knew and cared for more than he had time for understand, they were gone. It was simple...he didn't have the right to talk about this, it wasn't fair. If she wants to talk she just needs to ask for it but while she didn't, he just could bring her time, and if she did never wanted to talk... fine. Don't?

Steve was a different case, not for it less awkward. He leaved his bedroom every day, walked every now and then with a haunted gaze and always shut off, so lost in his rambling you would think he was dead in life if it wouldn't be for his worrisome habit for go each day at the same hour to the land where he had seen Bucky, his long lost friend from childhood who had been so difficult to get back, turn into ashes and go away with air. Bruce knew from Rhodey he was who, mind controlled first for Hydra and then for Zemo, had committed criminal actions which had been seen as menaces for some governments and had been the main very reason for the Captain to turn against the Sokovia accords and against Tony on his determination for protect him. He hadn't been there for have his own eyes on proof but that seemed beyond a regular friendship... or maybe it was just an unconscious reaction for when he saw how close Nat and Steve had turned these days. Suddenly his hoarse voice surprised him pacing opposite Nat's dorm door still.

"Dt. Banner, we know something about Thor, Tony and Pepper?" Steve talked from the kitchen, a glass of water in his hands.

"Nothing yet sorry. That scanner won't be a help if they are so deep on space." Bruce said, rubbing hands and moving for sit down in the kitchen table. "We know each other for almost six years, Captain. You can call me Bruce."

"I could have said the same." he said before drink what remained of water in the glass. "I just wanted to say you welcome to the team again... despite the way you get away. And if you get news that could be important, just inform us." then Steve sat up, get the empty glass on the pile and get to his room without more words. Certainly, their relation on the team was the more distant and based on professional work Bruce had on the team but he never expected that level of silence. The only thing he could imagine was their Captain was hanging on his leader duties for their benefit, for hold a secret unknown reason for affirm the group together even when it seemed they had nothing for remain united.

For that reasons when the air on the penthouse started to feel tense and stifling either, the night's he couldn't sleep unable to shut down his voice in his head, come back to the communications room. Although it would be only for feeling he was doing something useful while stared through the big glass wall admiring the black clean sky above the wakandian lands sparkling in shiny little stars and a proud big moon. It seemed the universe was mocking on them and their small existence compared with the immensity of the galaxy. "Where are you Tony? Where?" Bruce asked to the nothingness, rubbing his hands over his eyes and curled hair.

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I hope you liked it (or at least have the patience for read this slow and feelings plenty chapter). Let me know in the comments please!


	3. Chapter 3

Not a single one of this characters belongs to me (only the last one, really) but to Stan Lee and the minds who work day after day in MCU with this magnificent films that inspired me to keep writing.

It was the eight day after the snap. Bruce had fall asleep sit down on an office chair on the communications room when the scanner alarm started to whistle insanely until waking him with a jump. Five spaceships of mid size were running towards earth and it seemed they would land directly on some point of Africa. Friends or enemies? No, one of them was clearly the Rescue Star. Friends. Bruce must warn someone but where was his phone? Shit, the penthouse. It would take at most five hours for them to touch earth but still he went quickly for the closest elevator for the lowest floor. What Bruce hadn't expected was to find Rhodey in front of him when the elevator doors opened.

"You, come with me! They arrived, the both of them."

"Yeah I know. The scanner detected five spaceships running towards here. But they would take five hours for land. Why are you so hurry?" for him to move with the slow twirling of a exoskeleton Rhodey walked fast enough for be two steps beyond him.

"Five spaceships? I don't know what're you talking'out. Pepper and Tony arrived with Thor on that Bifrost thing. They are on the city gate where we are going now. I was on the penthouse and saw your phone also there so I came in case you wouldn't have notice. Rogers, Romanoff and the racoon are also running for there."

Bruce nodded and go behind Rhodey without more questions. Pushed and nudged almost every person they come across in the city until the magnificent gape could be seen in the distance. However when they finally arrived to the spot where all the people was gathering now, it been a signal of where the Bifrost leaved Thor, the imagine they saw in front of them did the world to stop for a minute under his foots and his heart to slow his pounding until he felt the blood on his veins had fallen literally down his legs.

Were them, as Rhodey had though, Thor and the Stormbreaker in his right arm and Pepper and Tony at his left. Pepper was physically well, still wearing on the white and purple armour but Tony was on a strange position, dropping with his knees almost touching the floor and Pepper holding him under his shoulders as best as she could, her face a grimace of pain while tried to hold back a distressing cry.

"Please, please Tony hold on please! Don't go please! I swear the ambulance is coming okey? But you had to try, just one last time, you had..." Pepper kneeled beside him, never shut off as an assurance she wasn't going anywhere, and hold his head in her lap while caressing his hear in a loving, calming gest. While I approached as fast as my heart pounding and the crowd on the streets allowed me, I could see it clearly. A large fresh blood stain covered Pepper armour and the right side of Tony's pit. The blood came from there. Tony was trying hard to keep his eyes open but his eyelids always ended whining this little battle. His breaths were hoarse and painfully deep, swallowed the air as if he had lack on it for days but also as if it hurt enough for don't want to breath anytime more.

Bruce bent down for check the main wound while Pepper gave him a short and begging greet without move away her gaze from Tony. Thor talked to him crouched at his back "Banner, he was lack of food, water and air when we founded him but the wound seemed closed. He began to bleed as soon as we landed here." Bruce nodded and cheked delicately the now half opened stub. All his right mid-section was teared up: the right external abdomen, a stomach section, the spleen, the low lung and the dorsal muscle. Some microchips with a white and sticky synthetic substance (he wasn't so sure but it recalled him of that kid's web) were attached on the organs cuts in what have been clearly an effort to close them up. It had healed the dorsal muscle and part the organ cuts pretty well but now the more of them, the most dangerous ones, had reopened or showed infected.

"Put your fingers on the wound and cover it up delicately Pepper. It will hurt but the wound is too much open and other way he'll loss more blood. Had you requested for an ambulance yet, Pepper?" Bruce glanced at her and the face she returned couldn't be more devastated. Her hear was tied in a tail and still it went to all directions, had lost all blood from her face, whiter than even Tony's, and two trails of tears fall down her cheeks to her neck. Bruce couldn't ignore the blow on his chest when he watched the panicked glare she gave him back when he ordered her to cover it, her bare fingers trembling above the bloody stab. She plucked up courage and finally put down the fingers causing a close-mouthed howl from Tony on a matter to not frighten her too much, as he would normally do.

"It's only until the ambulance leaves him in the hospital, I promise." when Pepper nods back and turns her attention to Tony again, Bruce gets up for being at Thor's height and talk to him. "I've seen five mid-size spaceships coming towards here. You know something?"

"Yes. One of them is the women Pepper came with piloting the Rescue Star, other is Nebula, the companion and only help Tony had out there, and the last three are the asgardian refugee ships commanded by Valkyrie and Korg. They are almost empty but there's still people who needed to be saved."

"I'm sorry for your loses and your people, buddy. Asgardians loosened too much so very quickly and still you had time for rescue Tony." Bruce glared at Thor in an effort to assure his support with it.

"It wasn't easy but it must be did. Tony is also my friend... At first, I went to find Valkyrie and the other ships but when I did, on our way back this galaxy, we intercepted a call from the Rescue Star saying they were searching Stark. We come across with them but as long as their ship wasn't prepared for do worm jumps, we offered our help to search the man of iron. The days passed and it seemed we wouldn't find him never but finally, two days ago and almost as a miracle from the ancient gods, the suit of Pepper received an unexpected emotional message who had been recorded for our friend itself. We keep searching on that area and, as you must have seen, the mere second we found him I teleported him with Pepper. He was fainting for lack of air... I never thought it could turn the wound worse, I'm sorry if..."

"Don't. I think it was badly healed since the beginning."

"Thor, you said that five spaceships were coming here right? Before they arrive I would suggest your ships to land on other country or at least warn the authorities on time, especially because of the refugee ones. After Thanos all what's coming from space seems a menace for the people." Bruce heard Rhodes talking with Thor from behind him but the wakandian ambulance arrived in that very moment, taking his attention from the conversation.

Between him, Pepper and some healers got Tony up in the ambulance. At first Bruce didn't want to go up with them for if he bothered the healers but Pepper insisted and they said he could be a help during this first minutes even if he wasn't a skilled surgery doctor so gave in and get on the van.

"I'm going with them Rhodey. Could you bring the team to the hospital and I see you there? Thanks." The ambulance doors were closed before he could hear Rhodey's answer and the car moved forward on the street, the siren sounding as a background.

"So sir, are you doctor?" asked him a young healer assistance at the same time he went to assure the immediate needs of his patient.

"I'm not a physician officially. My PhDh's are inclined on technical and research-study sides by I understand pretty well human biology and I have experience from some time as a volunteer doctor."

"Have you recognised the wound then. Are there any damaged organs?"

"The stomach has a little incision but the spleen is completely teared up. The low lung was healing thanks a substance he applied himself but now is swelled up and infected at one side of the wound."

"Fine, then I'll put him the air mask for help him breath. For now you shouldn't stop to covering up the stub, ma'am. We can't heal him here without the needed supplies. There'll be a surgery room prepared for him. The only thing we can do right now is to ensure the oxygen and blood keep reaching the brain. Fine?"

"Sure." Pepper was a mess on puffy reddish eyes, cheeks and mouth with no trail of colour but as much as her voice fainted slightly, she tried to show as much self-confidence as she could. Her fingers where still inside the wound, her position slightly turned to Tony out of necessity or instinct, as if by turn away her eyes from him someone or something will snatch him again from her.

The ambulance assistance went to put on the air mask on Tony, taking it off from time to time for not overload the injured lung. The healer, finally, managed to wake him up enough for him to turn open a sleepy and confused eyes.

"Pepper? Is that you? Where I...?" his voice was so hoarse you could even feel the pain in your own through but without hesitation she grabbed his nearer hand for if he needed a last assurance she was there and wasn't going anyway without him.

"Calm down love. You're fine, okey? We are getting you to the hospital and soon it wouldn't hurt more. Hm?" she spoke in sweet, calmed whispers while looking into his eyes with so much love and caring Bruce almost felt he was stealing a moment that was only for them both.

"Nebula? Thor? Thanos?" for what it seemed Tony couldn't talk too much.

"Thor said Nebula was on the spaceship and would come here soon. And have passed eight days since then. We haven't heard anything about that bastard but first we must heal your stub. After that we will begin to plan our response, sorry Tony" this time talked Bruce, as a try for Tony to not talk to much while the wound was fresh and open.

"Bruce? Who more is still...?" Tony turned his head towards the right sits, sign he didn't have noticed him before.

"As well as me and Thor, Natasha, Steve and Rhodey are still here. Clint wasn't with us the moment it all get ruined so we don't know yet." Bruce said only the alive or unknown one's on purpose, waiting he would guess the fate of the others by himself. Tony closed his eyes for a minute and take the mask in search for a bit of air, who would now if only dragged for the tiredness or as a way to soothe a new blow. He had seen people vanishing too, wasn't difficult to guess so.

"You shouldn't worry for that stub. I closed it with my tech and spi... synthetic web."

"It reopened on your way back here. And you couldn't sterilize the chips before using them, I suppose, so it caused a little infection on a cut." Bruce asked neutral and professional, wasn't time for scold him down.

Tony turned his head to look at his right mid-section. He was seeing now his fiancé fingers covering up the wound which hadn't realised but if it impressed or at least did him to remember his pain he didn't showed it. Instead went his eyes back to Pepper to focus his concern on the woman he loved.

"Well, now I'll can say my fiancé can literally hold my breath." Tony and his jokes. Others would reprimand him for not gave the necessary seriousness to the moment. He had a deep stub with several organs damaged besides the muscle, and despite Pepper's help it was inevitable he would continue losing blood. Checking a little bit over, Bruce would swear he had seen some broken bones too. He joked always but Bruce understands why. It was his way of protecting himself from a life that had begun being too serious since childhood and that was getting darker, depressing, shorter day to day. Tony searched a reason for survive all this hell, Pepper had turned one this last days, one stronger than friends, stronger than self-confidence and seeing her happy, especially when he was on the way to a surgery room, was the main one. Pepper smiled and it passed on Tony although he wouldn't recognise it later.

They finally reached the hospital and their short shelter in each other's eyes shattered with the overwhelming ease of a bubble ripping in your chest. The healer assistance asked Pepper to remove her hand delicately and as soon as she did, a stream of blood fell from one side of the wound. A main vein had broken too, shit. The assistant covered the wound again while his co-worker opened the ambulance doors. More healer assistants and nurses get off Tony's stretcher and run towards the surgery room, Bruce and Pepper following them as fast as they could. One door, another, another, a courtyard the elevator and finally in the fourth floor a nurse stopped them at the door to the operating room corridor, asking them to go to the nearest waiting room.

Their shattered, wrecked team was waiting there. Natasha, Steve and Rhodey raised their glance from the floor right when listened them arrive, all their questions, their fear, their last hope mixed in their faces. Bruce noticed his hands were sweating and shivering since the ambulance, lightly free for seconds of his usual controlled calmness. The surgery shouldn't be dangerous with the advanced technology they had in Wakanda but the right external abdomen, stomach and spleen teared up, the low lung infected and now a big vein ripped was to hard to remember and more to tell anyone. He just couldn't so, when Steve was about to ask him, Bruce summed up with the only information they needed now.

"Tony would be well. Always is." Said Bruce squeezing hands nervous and giving back a look he couldn't put directly on any eyes. Such an uncertainty he had used Bruce would bet no one believe it but they nodded in agreement, probably searching for some hope as much as they needed it and him too, resolved as an afterthought.

Bruce went to sit down for do the only thing he cold another time, wait and observe. The imagine was basically a resume of how broken, shattered, emotionally died they were after the day of the vanishing and above all after this week. He tried to focus his mind in other matters with conversation as all of them but it feeled just as what it was, a distraction.

"Where are Thor and Rocket?" Bruce turned to Rhodes, noticing silent and sporadic tears escaped his eyes while his hands rubbed ans shifted together on nervousness gests.

"Thor went to search Shuri while she's still princess for discuss if the asgardians could land here with garanteed security or either if the circumstances force them to ask another country. Rocket go with him when he knew they did found someone from space he knows, Nebula or something."

Natasha taked Pepper to the bathroom for take her the armour off and wash the stained blood from her right hand. Bruce noticed he had some blood also and cold sweat covered his face but would go later, using that moment for ask about the man most missed here.

"We have news from Clint?" with Bruce's question Steve turned to him, his eyes shrinked in his shockets maybe since some days until now from lack of rest, worry, guilt and his mouth just turned from down to seriously streight.

"No, still nothing. But don't ask Natasha please, even less you. It was too hard for her to finally decide to phone him and when she did and no one taked it, she breaked down. I wanted to say her a call doesn't means anything but she kicked me out of her room and turned on the shower, you know... for that her tears will confuse with the water."

"For that her tears will confuse with the water." they said that last sentence simultaneously. It wasn't anything special that they two knew that, after six years of the team working together and some of them even living together wasn't unusual for them to knew each others habits and if they were perceptive enough each others ways of thinking. Natasha was certainly so private, but precisly because of how complicated it was for her to show her feelings and trail of any weak one could understand pretty well that when she more closed herself to the others, was when she most suffered. At least, that was the way Bruce could see it.

Her alternative way out of feelings was focus her efforts in ease others sorrow, of her loved and trusted ones mostly. That's what she decided to do now sitted down next to Pepper, embracing her with one arm and letting her to curl up the head on her shoulder when she drifted off.

Wasn't until pretty hours later, eight on evening and the very moment Thor arrived to the waiting room, that a doctor introduced herself asking for Tony Stark relatives.

"Are you Stark's companny this night don't? Right, I'm Doctor Liza Amimbola and I'll be the first head in charge of him until we give the discharge. It has been a long difficult operation but Mr. Stark has the vital signs in order and didn't show problems with the medication. Now he's in induced coma and will take a few hours to wake up but I think it would be better if I meet him tomorrow to give you more details so that he and some of you can rest. Mr. Stark will be transferred to room 426 on this same floor but if anyone of you is a close relative you can go see him." Doctor Amimbola offered her guidance to Pepper once she presented herself as Tony's fiancé, getting her to the surgery corridor.

We remained there without knowing what to think or what to feel. There wasn't necessary to be there for know as it is that Tony's return was bitter, not because of his hurried and now secure arrival to home but more because of the circumstances wich surrounded that return. Little minutes of relief in the middle of a world in chaos, sorrow and insecurity after in which was proved how the ends not always justifies the means.

That moment must have been when Bruce and the others decided to fasten on live needy ones who had leave the End day, the name the media was usinf in reference, although the Avengers would rather call it the T day, less dramatic and less painful. They did what seemed the most logical and needed way of action what is carry on with job and cooperation at everything Wakanda ordered them for or where was required held this new world in chaos. As a matter of fact it helped get over the T day, at least it seemed like that.

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And that's the third chapter I promised yesterday. I'm not going to do so much comments because here is so late and I'm exhausted but I though I should comment that this idea of "Tony return from space to the hospital" isn't completely mine, just this perpective, execution and portrayal. It get inspired by the brilliantly wroten story of Learlorde, A Painful Reunion. My story was never centered on that theme but I needed to do a chapter of Tony returning to earth, whit what the movie will do or not also, because I can't leave him stuck in space until die, I just can't.

Well, let me know in the comments what do you think about this chapter.


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